“You ok now?”
“I think so. I will be.” Ron nods at my answer and we head into my trailer where Dale is double checking the straps on my bike.
“We good to go, Dale?”
“Yea, man. That was a hell of a race. Are you ok?” Dale knows me as well as Ron does.
“I’m ok. I went to the dark for a little bit, but I’m in the light now. Ron here is taking me for donuts, so there’s that.”
Dale chuckles and slaps me on the back.
“Good to hear man. Congrats on the win. Looks like Mr. Deep Pockets won’t be messing with you anymore.”
“I sure hope not. I’m tired of his mouth.”
~
True to his word, Ron takes me for donuts to make me feel better. Donuts center me, as well as a whole pack of Oreos. Don’t judge.
I order several donuts, all different kinds, and then wait. I’m that kind of dude.
“What time are you heading to Mississippi on Sunday?” Ron ask, while taking a huge bite of his strawberry filled donut.
I was born and raised in a really small town north of here. I grew up with shitty parents, but I found my ‘family’ despite everything. After graduation and everything settled down, we all moved to the next town over to live. We had to get away from everything in our hometown. Conerly, MS is a little bit bigger than my hometown, and the community has a lot going for it. There are tons of stuff for people to do. Even though I don’tlivethere, I have a house there. Eventually, I will go back home – to live. Just not yet.
I get up to see them as often as I can. I try for once a month. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. I talk to at least one of them every day. Nova, my niece, will call every day. You can bank on it. She won’t end her day if she hasn’t spoke to me. Micah just hands her the phone.
She doesn’t know that I’m coming Sunday though. It’s a surprise. She’s going to be really surprised when Chance, Kelly, and Bone show up. Then I’m going to blow her mind with my arrival.
Right now, I’m living here in Martinsville, Louisiana. It’s about two hours south of Conerly. I moved here right after we all settled in our new houses. It just wasn’t feasible for me to drive four hours to work and race. I knew that I needed my office close to the track and all the racers. I practice all day, several days a week. Being close is a necessity, so I rented a little house here and opened my office in an old building in the middle of downtown. I didn’t want sponsors coming to my house, and I didn’t want Ron and Dale over here all the time either. I like my space clean, quiet, and calm.
“I will head out around nine that morning, so I get there a little after one. The kids may be napping so I can wake them up. Micah’s luck, they won’t be, but whatever.”
“Micah may kill you. I doubt they will be napping. When you’re five, you’re pretty much over naps.”
“You’re probably right, but nah.” I take a huge bite of donut and finish as I chew. “She won’t kill me. She’ll just be happy to see me.”
“If you say so.” Ron shakes his head.
Right then, as if she can read my mind and know I’m talking about her, my phone beeps with a text from Mi.
Micah: What time will you be here Sunday?
Levi: Where your ears burning?
Micah: What you talkin about?
Levi: I was just answering the same question for Ron.
Micah: ….
Micah: I’m not Ron. Answer me.
Levi: Geez. What crawled up you?
Micah: The fact that you’re getting on my last nerve.
Levi: Do you talk to your mama with that mouth.
